---
title: Metabase
description: How to add business intelligence and analytics to your app with Metabase.
---

While next-forge doesn't include BI tooling out of the box, you can easily add business intelligence and analytics to your app with [Metabase](https://www.metabase.com).

Try it locally or in the cloud:

<div className="block -mt-6">
  <a href="https://www.metabase.com/start/oss" className="block -mb-6">
    <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Self--host-Metabase-blue?logo=metabase" alt="Self-host Metabase" />
  </a>
  <a href="https://metabase.com/start" className="block -mt-6">
    <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Try%20Cloud-Metabase-brightgreen?logo=metabase" alt="Try Metabase Cloud" />
  </a>
</div>

## Overview

Metabase is an open-source business intelligence platform. You can use Metabase to ask questions about your data, or embed Metabase in your app to let your customers explore their data on their own.

## Installing Metabase

Metabase provides an official Docker image via Docker Hub that can be used for deployments on any system that is running Docker. Here's a one-liner that will start a container running Metabase:

```sh
docker run -d --name metabase -p 3000:3000 metabase/metabase
```

For full installation instructions: 
- [Docker Documentation](https://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/installation-and-operation/running-metabase-on-docker)
- [Jar File Documentation](https://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/installation-and-operation/running-the-metabase-jar-file)


## Database Connection

By default, next-forge uses Neon as its database provider. Metabase works seamlessly with Postgres. To connect, you'll need:

- The `hostname` of the server where your database lives
- The `port` the database server uses
- The `database name`
- The `username` you use for the database
- The `password` you use for the database

You can find these details in your `DATABASE_URL`:

```js
DATABASE_URL="postgresql://[username]:[password]@[hostname]:[port]/[database_name]?sslmode=require"
```

Then plug your database connection credentials into Metabase:

![/images/metabase-add-database.png](/images/metabase-add-database.png)

Metabase supports over 20 databases. For other database options, see [Metabase Database Documentation](https://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/databases/connecting).

## Asking Questions and Building Dashboards

Once connected, you can start asking [Questions](https://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/questions/query-builder/introduction) and building [Dashboards](https://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/dashboards/introduction).
